In the main event of UFC 294 tonight, Alexander Volkanovski steps up on short notice to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title, eight months after their scintillating first clash.
Featherweight champion Volkanovski came up narrowly short against Makhachev in February, losing on points, and now he replaces the injured Charles Oliveira on 11 days’ notice for a rematch.
FOLLOW LIVE: UFC 294 – Fight updates and results
In the co-main event, Kamaru Usman is also a short-notice replacement, taking on Khamzat Chimaev on 10 days’ notice after Paulo Costa withdrew amid a slew of surgeries.
That bout marks Usman’s middleweight debut, 14 months after his reign as welterweight champion ended, as he faces one of the most dominant prospects in MMA. Here’s all you need to know. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
When is UFC 294?
UFC 294 takes place on Saturday 21 October at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
The prelims are set to begin at 3pm BST (7am PT, 9am CT, 10am ET), with the main card following at 7pm BST (11am PT, 1pm CT, 2pm ET).
How can I watch it?
The card will air live on TNT Sports in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights.
In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider.
Odds
Makhachev – 4/9; Volkanovski – 9/5
Chimaev – 2/5; Usman – 2/1
•Get all the latest UFC betting sites’ offers
Full card (subject to change)
Main card
Islam Makhachev (C) vs Alexander Volkanovski 2 (lightweight title)
Khamzat Chimaev vs Kamaru Usman (middleweight)
Magomed Ankalaev vs Johnny Walker (light-heavyweight)
Ikram Aliskerov vs Warlley Alves (middleweight)
Said Nurmagomedov vs Muin Gafurov (bantamweight)
Prelims
Tim Elliot vs Muhammad Mokaev (flyweight)
Nathaniel Wood vs Muhammad Naimov (featherweight)
Mohammad Yahya vs Trevor Peek (lightweight)
Javid Basharat vs Victor Henry (bantamweight)
Abu Azaitar vs Sedriques Dumas (middleweight)
Mike Breeden vs Anshul Jubli (lightweight)
Viktoriia Dudakova vs Jinh Yu Frey (women’s strawweight)
Shara Magomedov vs Bruno Silva (middleweight)
